Shifting-rail fastener for vehicle-tops.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

F. H. DELKER. 4 SHIFTING RAIL PASTENER- FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 12. 1903.

2 SERIES-SHEET 1-.

H0 MODEL.

F. H. --DELKER.

N0 MODEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12. 1 903.

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WITNESSES:

A TTOHNE Y's.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903 SHIFTING RAIL FASTENER FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

UNIiED STATES ATENT Patented June 16, 1903.

FFICE.

FRANK H. DEL KER, OF HENDERSON,KENTUOKY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,287, dated June 16,1903.

Application filed January 12, 1903.

and exact description.

Ordinarily the means for attachingand rcmoving the top coveringofwheeled conveyances, such as buggies, requires time and: the use oftools to effect the same.

The object of this invention is to provide simple novel means for thequick reliable connection of the shifting rail of a vehicle-top with theseat-irons or braces that are fixtures on the side and backboards of thevehicle: seat and likewise the convenient and speedy removal of thevehicle-top from the seat, as occasion may requirel i The inventionconsists in struction and combination of parts, as is hereinafterdescribechand defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indi catecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower portion of vehicle-topbraces, a shifting rail,-

and a plurality of the improved rail-fasteners pendent from the shiftingrail. Fig. 2 is an enlarged exterior view of a portion of one side boardof a vehicle-seat, a portion of a shifting rail mounted thereon, and oneof the improved rail-fasteners mounted on the rail and adjusted topermit said rail to be readily removed. Fig. 3 is a view correspondingin details with Fig. 2, but representing the parts adjusted for clampingthe shifting rail upon the vehicle-seat. Fig. 4 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view of a vehicle-seat in part, a seat-ironsecuredon the inner surface of the side wallof the seat, and apartly-sectional view of the shifting rail held in place on theseat-iron by a detail of the fastening device. Fig. 5 is a reverse planview of the improved fastening device mounted upon a seat-iron andadjusted to clamp the shifting rail of a vehicle-top upon saidseat-iron, and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of details on theline 6 6 in Fi 5.

the novel con-- Serial No. 138,743. (No model.)

The improvements are applicable to any style of vehicle-top mounted upona shifting rail and may be utilized for the detachable connection of theshifting rail upon seats for light vehicles of various styles. As shown,to illustrate the application of the improveinents the seat is of theordinary box type,

comprising two sides A, one being shown in 4, a back A, and a bottom AUpon the side A one of the braces or seatirons 10 is shown secured uponthe inner surface of said side, said brace or seat-iron having a member1O bent outward and resting upon the upper edge of the side A. Asrepresented, the seat-iron member 10 is per forated vertically at a toreceive a pendent pin on the shifting rail 11, and it is to beunderstood that any preferred number of seatirons 10 may be employed andbe secured at proper points on the inner surfaces of the sides a A andback A of the seat.

The shifting rail 11 consists of a metal bar bent at b and 1), thesebends affording two members 11 of equal length, which may be disposed ata right angle to the main portion of the shifting rail and in serviceare imposed upon and removably secured to the upper edges of the sides Aof the vehicle-seat, as will presently be described, said shifting railhaving journal projections c 0, respectively, formed 011 the front andrear portions of the side members 11 for the rockable support of theprop-bars B of the vehicle-top, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 1.

On the shifting rail 11 at suitable points a plurality of pins dareformed or secured, said pins being respectively disposed above a seatiron member 10, so as to be readily insertible down through theperforation atherein, which will retain the shifting rail in place 011the top surface of the sidesand back AA, preventing side movement of theshifting rail, but permitting its vertical displacement.

The improved shifting-rail fastener consists of a series of similarclamps of novel construction, there being preferably one for each pinand seat-iron engaged therewith, and as said clamping devices are alikea description of one will answer for the series.

A spring plate or leaf 12, of suitable length,

IOU

breadth, and tensional strength, is perforated one of the depending pins(Z, and upon said end of the spring-leaf 12 the ends of the bowedclevis-loop 13 are pivoted, said clevis-loop being loosely mounted uponthe shifting rail 11. On the opposite end of the spring-leaf 12 twospaced ears 6, formed on one end of a lever 1%, are pivoted near theirfree ends, as at 6, so that said cars will loosely embrace the sideedges of the spring-leaf and the lever be held to rock thereon betweenthe ears. From the ears 6, at like side edges, the body of the lever 14is projected nearly at a right angle to a point 6 where a nearlyright-angular bend is formed in the lever-body, whereby the main portionthereof is caused to trend away from the ears in a plane substantiallyparallel with said edges, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and Near thepivot e the spaced ears 6 are oppositely perforated, these perforationse being located near the angular junction of the bent lever 14 with theears 6. In the opposite perforations e the transverse member g of aclamping-hook 15 is loosely secured, whereby the clamping hook is heldto rock on the lever 14.

The clamping-hook 15 is bent from a metal rod, first at g to provide thetransverse member g thereon, and near the opposite end the rod materialis curved into hook form, this formation providing a hook that extendsabove the upper edge of the shifting rail 11, as is best shown in Fig.6.

In the upper edge of the shifting rail 11, above each lever let, a notchh is formed, which will receive the curved member of each clamping-hook15 when it is adjusted to effect such an engagement and prevent thehooks 15 from slipping along the engaged edge of the shifting rail. Itwill be seen in Fig. 2 that when the details of each clamping device arearranged for the release of the shifting rail 11 the main member of theclamping-lever 14 will be projected away from the springleaf 12, and thelatter will without strain be supported nearly horizontal by its ends,so that, if desired, the clamping-hook 15 may be readily disengaged fromthe notch h in the shifting rail 11 and be permitted to hang pendenttherefrom after release of the springl eaf from the depending pin (1, asshown in Fig. 1.

Assuming that the shifting rail 11 is positioned on the upper edge ofthe vehicleseat and the pins (Z are respectively inserted through theperforations (L in the seat-iron members 10, the shifting rail andattached vehicle-top may be secured in position by placing the hooks 15over the shifting rail and then rocking each of the levers 14 into theposition shown in Fig. 3.

To further explain the lockin g adjustment of each lever 14, it will beseen that upon manipulation of said lever so as to turn its free endtoward the pin (Z, as is indicated by the curved arrow 00 in Fig. 2, thehook 15 will be drawn upon by the eccentric disposal of the point ofpivotal connection g and the adjacent end of the spring leaf 12 will bestrained toward the shiftingbar 11 a correspondingdegree.

Owing to the stress of the spring-leaf 12, the lever 14 will be forcedtoward and into contact with the lower surface of said springleaf at itsangular bend e and the main portion of the lever will be inclineddownward and toward the pin cl.

Obviously the tension of the spring-leaves 12 and the eccentric actionof each lever 14 when the clamping devices are severally adjusted asshown in Fig. 3 will serve to hold the shifting rail 11 firmly clampedupon the seat-walls A A and, furthermore, that the stress of saidspring-leaves will hold the levers from an accidental rocking movement,take up wear of working parts, and prevent rattling of said parts whilein service and the vehicle is in rapid motion.

It will be evident that the length of leverage afforded to theclamping-levers 14 enables their manual adjustment with but slightexertion and effects a very reliable attachment of the fastening devicesupon the rail, so that the vehicle-top may be very conveniently securedin place or removed, which is a matter of great advantage, as it permitsthe ready conversion of an uncovered vehicle into a covered one in a fewmoments by any one who can lift the vehicle-top; furthermore, thefasteners for the shifting rail are all mounted thereon and looselysecured thereto, so that there are no unsightly parts left exposed onthe vehicle-seat when the top and shifting rail are removed. Thefastening devices are quite small and may be finished so as to beornamental and not mar the appearance of the vehicle-seat when in placethereon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. A fastener for the shifting rails ofvehicleseats, comprising a seat-iron, a spring-leaf engaging the seatiron, means for loosely coupling one end of the spring-leaf with theshifting rail, and detachable means for connecting the opposite end ofsaid spring-leaf with the shifting rail.

2. A fastener for the shifting rails of vehicle-seats, comprising a pindepending from the shifting rail and loosely engaging a lateral memberon a seat-iron, a spring-leaf bearing on the seat-iron member andthrough which the lower end of the pin passes, a loose connectionbetween one end of the spring-leaf' and the shifting rail, a hookloosely engaging the shifting rail, and a lever eccentrically.connecting the other end of the spring-leaf with the hook.

A fastener for the shifting rails of vehiole-seats, comprisinga pindepending from the shifting rail and loosely passing through aperforation in a lateral member on a seat-iron,

a spring-leaf having a perforation through which the lower end of thepin passes, a loose connection between one end of the spring-leaf andthe shifting rail, a hook loosely engaging theshifting rail, a bentlever, two spaced flanges on one end of said lever, between which theother end of the spring-leaf is pivoted, the lower end of said hookhaving an eccentric pivot connection with the flanged end of the lever.

4. The combination with a vehicle-seat, and brace-irons thereon, eachiron having a laterally-bent and perforated top member, of a shiftingrail which supports a vehicle-top, pins depending from .the shiftingrail and loosely passing through the perforations in the brace-ironmembers, spring-leaves loosely secured by one end of each on theshifting rail, and perforated to receive the lower ends of the pins, ahook for each spring-leaf, removably engaging the shifting rail, and abent lever for each hook, having two spaced flanges on one end betweenwhich the remaining end of a respective spring is pivoted, the

lower ends of the hooks being pivoted on the flanges, eccentrically tothe pivot connections of the spring-leaves thereon.

5. Afastener for a shifting rail on a vehicleseat, comprising a shiftingrail, a seat, a pinand-socket connection between the rail and the seat,a spring-leaf coupled at one end with the rail, a hook loosely engagingthe rail and spaced from the coupling device, and a lever pivoted on theend of the spring-leaf opposite the coupled end thereof, and alsopivoted on the hook eccentrically to the pivot connecting thespring-leaf and lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK H. DELKER;

Witnesses:

JOHN EDWARD EVANS, ROBERT G. WHITLEDGE.

